Chest pain is a pain or discomfort in any area of your chest. It may spread to other areas of your upper body, including down your arms or into your neck or jaw. Chest pains can be sharp or dull. You may feel tightness or achiness. Or you may feel like something is crushing or squeezing your chest. Policy. This article examines the causes and symptoms of chest pain and when to connect with a healthcare professional. If you have chest pain it's natural to connect it to your heart. Common causes of chest pain that are not related to the heart include anxiety, heartburn, chest infection, muscle pain, injuries and inflammation. Chest pain isn’t always a sign of a medical emergency. Here are 30 possible causes for this symptom. But just how do you know when that chest pain you feel is actually a heart attack and not something else entirely? The answer, says cardiologist Curtis Rimmerman, MD, is knowing that your pain is sudden, persistent and not pinpointed to one location. Chest pain can be a potentially serious symptom of a heart problem, but not all causes of chest pain are life-threatening. Chest discomfort can also be related to digestive, musculoskeletal, and even psychiatric conditions. Chest pain may be sharp or dull. It might come and go, or you might always feel the pain. The exact symptoms depend on the cause. Many different things can cause chest pain. The most life-threatening causes involve the heart or lungs. So it's important to get medical help for an accurate diagnosis. Chest pain is not something to ignore. But you should know that it has many possible causes. In many cases, it's related to the heart. But problems in your lungs, esophagus, muscles, ribs, or. Chest pain is an indicator of a possible heart attack, but it may also be a symptom of another condition or problem. The type and location of the pain can help doctors determine what is causing it. Find out what could be causing your chest pain and if you need to go to hospital or see a GP.